


In the Time of All-Nighters

by captainkaltar



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Business Major Jean, Caffeine, Film Major Marco, First Kiss, Love Confessions, M/M, Miscommunication, Roommates, University, Unresolved Sexual Tension, it made me smile while writing it and I hope it makes you smile too :), this is honestly pretty damn silly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 15:57:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8997325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainkaltar/pseuds/captainkaltar
Summary: A fluffy, silly college AU. Jean and Marco are roommates with erratic sleep schedules, shenanigans ensue.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [breemeup](https://archiveofourown.org/users/breemeup/gifts).



The sound of keys turning in the lock startle him, nearly making him drop the notebook he’s been going over again and again for the last half an hour. There’s only one other person who owns keys to their shabby little student-residency apartment, and that person is supposed to be stuck in a lecture hall right now, learning whatever the hell business majors are supposed to learn. He’s in his second year of film school, how’s he supposed to know anything about a field so different from his own? It’s not like they talk to each other about what they’re studying, hell, they barely talk to each other unless it’s to argue about cleaning, or sleep schedules, or choice of music. 

With the exception of movie nights and joint board game sessions that are few and far between, all Jean Kirstein ever seems to want to do when he’s not in class is argue or complain or sulk in his bedroom. His life is a study in negativity, a study that would be insufferable if it didn’t come as part of package deal that included a dry wit that can make Marco laugh even during exam season, a talent for making sandwiches (although he fails at any cooking over a stove), and a whole slew of distracting little physical features that Marco wishes he would stop noticing and move on. 

But oh no, all Jean has to do is walk into the room and Marco’s brain stops noticing everything else around him, all it cares about are Jean’s long elegant fingers, his fluffy hair, the gentle curve of his shoulders, the sleepy look in his eyes that somehow makes him look dreamy and sensitive, instead of like a college student who’s been through one too many all-nighters and one to many 8 am classes. 

It’s hard to talk to him when he’s all unkempt like this; Marco’s a heart-on-sleeve kind of guy, not one to keep his crushes bottled up and concealed. He’s always been bad at hiding them, and quick to admit to them. But with Jean, he’s tried time and time again to admit how he really feels about his roommate, but the moment never seems quite right. And after what happened between them the last time they talked, how the hell is he going to respond to that? 

“Oh, what are you doing here?” Jean’s tone of voice is guarded and territorial, and Marco finds himself nearly disappointed. After everything Jean said the night before, is a standoffish question really all he’s going to get? 

“Hey Jean, what’s up? Don’t you have a class this morning?” He mentally keeps his fingers crossed in the hopes that he’s not going red in the face. 

“Ended early. Prof started feeling sick, still lectured for two hours instead of the usual two and a half though.”

“I wonder if your prof caught the same flu bug as mine. I was supposed to have a class this morning, but it’s cancelled.” He twirls his favourite pencil between two fingers, anything to keep part of his mind busy, to keep him from making everything go to shit. 

“Lucky bastard.” 

“I know…” He takes a few deep breaths; if he and Jean are going to talk about what’s happened between them, now’s the time. 

“Marco, are you alright?” Jean’s eyebrows are raised in concern.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Here goes. Here goes nothing. “It’s just, well, are you busy right now? Can we talk?”

“Talk about what?”

“We need to talk about what happened last night.”

“What the fuck? I studied until two in the morning and then passed out, you got a problem with that?”

No way. There’s no way. “You don’t remember anything you said to me?”

“Umm, not really…” Jean tilts his head to one side, making Marco want to scream in frustration. Has he really, truly forgotten everything?

“Everything about- about-“ He can’t finish his sentence, his mouth hangs open. 

“What do you remember from last night?” Jean looks Marco up and down, a suspicious glint in his eyes. 

“It, well, I guess it started when you downed a whole pot of coffee all to yourself and said you had to start work on a paper.” 

“Yeah, I remember that much.”

“And then- then you drank another one, another pot.” 

“What about it?” There’s an irritated edge in Jean’s voice. “Why are you suddenly acting like you care about me? I already have one parent who texts me every day and gives me shit about not sleeping enough!” 

“God forbid people care about you! If you pour your heart out to people and tell them you love them, then try and push them away the next day like this, no wonder you don’t have any friends here on campus!” 

He didn’t mean to sound so angry, didn’t mean to raise his voice, but his words do something to Jean. Marco can practically see his pupils dilate in shock as he sits down heavily in the nearest chair, staring at his roommate. When he finally speaks, his words are carefully measured, deliberate and steady. 

“Marco, what exactly did I say last night?” 

“You really want to hear it?”

“Why not, why the fuck not.” He slumps with his chin resting on his folded arms. 

“You were drinking coffee and procrastinating-“

“Hey, I did actually get some work done last night!”

“Fine, you were drinking coffee, and I was getting ready to go get some sleep. But then you told me you’d been thinking about something, and you needed to tell me what it was.” 

“Oh man…” Jean runs his fingers through his hair. “What did I say?”

“You really want to know?” Marco’s face feels hot, afraid of how Jean will react. 

“I’ve got nothing to lose, I guess.”

“Okay. So you- you told me that you love me, that you’ve thought I was adorable -yes, you used that exact word to describe me-, ever since we first became roommates, you want to kiss me and play with my hair and hold my hand and listen to me tell you about my day.”

“Wow.” Jean blinks in disbelief. “I really said all of that?”

“Yep. I wouldn’t lie to you.”

“No way…”

“There’s more though.” 

“Man, I think I could use some more of that coffee. This is a lot to take in.”

“It was a lot to take in for me too.” He manages to let out a burst of laughter. 

“So let me get this straight; I was running on two hours of sleep and two pots of coffee, and I declared my undying love for you?”

“Well, maybe not undying” Marco flushes. “I mean, that was just the coffee and sleep deprivation talking, right?” 

“Uhh, Marco…” And now they’re both red in the face, Jean’s turning crimson. “The all-nighter made me brave and reckless, but it wasn’t doing the talking for me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I like you, okay? I didn’t just say that because I had 3 am delusions or something.”

“You what now?”

“I like you. I really like you, Marco.” Jean buries his face in his hands. 

“Hey, hey, Jean.” Marco places a tentative arm on his roommate’s shoulder. “This is kind of a lot to take in right now.”

“Fuck, don’t I know it.” 

“But, okay, hear me out. I think I like you back. I thought you were just a grouch at first, but now that I’ve gotten to know you a little better and I-“ Jean’s hand catches the back of his neck, pulling their faces close together. “Jean? Um, what’re you doing?”

“Can I kiss you instead of listening to you ramble?” 

That makes them both laugh, and as their lips touch and their eyes close they’re both smiling. Jean’s lips are dry and cracked, but Marco doesn’t care, nothing in the world feels more right than this, nothing feels better than having them pressed against his own. Jean’s gentle and tentative with him, his mouth is warm, his skin soft.

He finds himself pulling Jean closer, fingers tangling in his hair and finding it incredibly soft and feathery to the touch. He’s bending down over Jean, who’s still sitting in his chair, but then Jean pulls him down by his shirt collar and he’s sitting in his lap, surrounded by him. When they pull away from the kiss, Jean’s lips are pink and swollen, his face is flushed. He smiles with a dazed look in his eyes, like a man waking up from a sweet dream. Marco realizes that he’s never seen him properly smile before. 

“That,” his hand skims the edge of Marco’s cheek “was incredible.” His arms are wrapped around Marco, holding him close. “Do it again?”

Marco barely breathes out an excited “Yes…” before Jean’s lips are pressed against his again, a little more passionate but still with same tenderness, the crabby business student gone and replaced by someone sweeter and more sensitive, someone Marco can’t wait to get to know better.

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas Bree! I hope you have a fantastic holiday season, and hope you enjoyed your fic!


End file.
